Whispers to a Genius
by waitingforw0nderland
Summary: When 17 year old Locke's father dies of a heart attack, her family is destroyed. Tragedy follows his death and Locke discovers her dad didn't just die, he was murdered. She sets off to find the famous detective L. While he was not what she expected, he was...quirky. A hesitant friendship develops between two people who shut the world out, but will they be able to let each other in?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! :D **

**So this is my first story I have published somewhere, don't get mad if it's crappy :s**

**It might seem a little slow at first...but it picks up, I promise!**

**So...do I have to do one of those disclaimer things? Sadly, I do not own Death Note...**

**On to the story! *WOOT* :D**

*Japan*

She stood alone; separate from everyone in body and mind.

Wrapped in black, her thoughts turning black too. Flashbacks, whenever she laid eyes upon someone or something in the room. Her father's smile, her sister's laugh, her mother's embrace. All nothing but a distant memory of a happy family. Her mother was a gray expanse of stone, unyielding, unchanging. And yet in these few moments it took, she put on her mask.

'Yes, I'm fine, we're coping. It was a terrible tragedy, but we still have each other, right?' She would say with a small smile and a fake laugh. But her eyes were hollow, already calculating how many more times she has to do the routine before she can go home and lock herself in her room and drown her sorrow in alcohol. Her little sister, once a beacon of happiness and joy to everyone who knew her, now is as silent as the grave, and just as cold.

She knows what her mother is doing, and yet she is powerless. So she shuts out everything, wraps herself in a cocoon of memories. Happy memories. At just 6 years old, her sister has already broken through to the other side of life. The side parents don't want their kids to see. She has discarded the shiny toys and pretty clothes and seen into the pain, the raw misery of the real world. It scared her. So she became mute and deaf to the world. She didn't want to know what was happening. Her mind refused to go there. Her sister was stuck with the job of feeding her, washing her, taking her to school, because she wouldn't do the simplest of things for herself. She became catatonic.

Her sister was forced into the role of parent at barely 17. She was single-handedly running the household now, with two after school jobs and one before. She barely got any sleep, but she became used to it. She had learned not to rely on anyone but herself, because in the end, everyone lets you down. That was why she had built walls for herself in the following weeks after her dad's death.

She blinked, recalling how she got called out of school to go see her mother. Her sister was already at home with her mother. They both looked terrible, eyes red and puffy, tear tracks down their cheeks, her sister blowing her nose. Not realizing why, she asked her mother what happened.

'It's...your father...he-' she choked off, unable to finish. The room swam around her mother's face as the words registered in her brain.

'Well, he's...alright, isn't he?' She asked, confused. 'I mean, we can go see him in the hospital, right?...' Her mother just sobbed harder. The realization hit her like an actually fist and she sat down abruptly. Her father...dead? But why? He was healthy, active, never did drugs or drank; he had no criminal record, and had no enemies!

'You're lying!' She screamed at her mother, tears refusing to fall. 'You're lying; this is all some big joke! He's not dead!' She got up and ran out of the front door, feet pounding the ground. Her tears came now, flowing fast down her cheeks and dripping off her chin. Neighbors asked if she was alright, but the world was blurred, meaningless, as she ran as if she could still save her dad. Finally her legs could run no longer and she tripped and sprawled into the dirt, coughing, tears still dripping down her face.

She turned and retched into nearby bushes, heaving until her stomach felt like it was inside her throat. Then she just lay on her back, numb and dizzy until night fell.


	2. Chapter 2

**Greetings everyone! :D **

**I just got back from volunteering and it put me in a giving mood, so I decided to post this chapter!**

**It's longer than the first one, is it too long? :S But I still haven't decided how I'll go about uploading chapters though...we'll see!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the marvelousness (is that a word?) that is Death Note. :(  
**

**Proceed to Chapter 2! XD**

Nobody had come looking for her, and that's when she realized she was alone. Her mother would not help her. Her sister couldn't. So she had picked herself up and walked back home. When she got back inside, it was nearly dawn, and her mother was sprawled on the couch, empty bottles of alcohol surrounding her. Her sister was huddled in her bed, staring into space. She acknowledged that they were not a normal family now, and it would probably be up to her to make sure the bills got paid and her sister was taken care of. That was her initiation into head of household.

She clenched her fists, standing in the funeral home surrounded by people who would eventually forget about her father in a few months. _She _would never forget him. Ever. She turned abruptly and walked out of the ceremony. She couldn't stand to be around those people right now. If she didn't get away, she would break down. She needed to immerse herself in work, or else she would lose her mind. She ran home and turned on the computer.

Before his death, her father had been working on criminal cases. It wasn't his job, he just liked the distraction. He was very smart and could solve most of them, but didn't dare go to the police in case they found out how he was getting the files. Hacking into the police database would probably get him put into jail if they found out. Luckily, he was very careful and covered his tracks perfectly. He had taught all he knew to his eldest daughter after she had expressed an interest in what he was doing. She knew how to get files without leaving a trace.

She wasn't as smart as her father, but she had a knack for spotting details that most people would overlook or consider unimportant. Since her father's death, she had taken it into her own hands to get police files on criminals and try and solve them, or at least come up with theories. If she was positive she had the case in the bag, she would drop anonymous hints to the police using the tip line. She wasn't sure, but she thought she had helped solve, or at least elucidate a lot of cases. That was her one pride.

Recently, the cases she was working on were disappearing from the 'important' folder. She couldn't figure out if she had been caught, or if there was something else going on. She decided to stop looking at the cases, just to be sure. She switched off her computer and lay on her bed, staring into space. When her family came home, she didn't even bother greeting them. She knew better now.

A few weeks after the files began disappearing there was a news special on. Apparently, some criminal in a high-security prison had died from a heart attack. That got her attention, because her father had died of a heart attack. She was highly sensitive to the topic as a result.

She turned up the volume, but nothing else of interest was talked about. Sitting back on the couch, an idea was half-formed in her mind. She quickly ran upstairs to her room and scanned the computer. Sure enough, the criminal's case had disappeared. She gasped. So _that's_ what was happening! Whenever a criminal died, their case got taken off the importance list because, well, they were dead! She looked at all the files on her computer, then compared them to the police database. A good chunk had been removed from the police headquarters. But where were they going?

She sat back in her chair, mind reeling. A million thoughts were buzzing around in her head. Was this the work of one person? A group? No, it had to be a single person...with a warped sense of justice? Bringing 'peace' to the world by killing criminals?. That's it! But how were they doing it? These criminal cases were so recent, and their deaths were so sudden, had anyone else came to the same conclusion?

She frowned, and loaded up the database again .She quickly did another search, and came up with all the missing files. Cracking the password for the files, she saw they were in something called the 'Kira' case. Killer? The police must be coming to the same conclusion she was! Scanning down, she was shocked to see that almost all of the cases had died of a heart attack. That couldn't be a coincidence!

Her father's death fit into the timeline of criminal heart attacks, but...her dad wasn't a criminal, was he? A sudden thought hit her, and she typed her dad's name into the database. Sure enough, his file popped up. No offenses, except...except one, a couple weeks before his death. It said that her father had tried to rob a store! There was even a news article on the internet about it. She didn't believe it.

She checked the date, and suddenly the memory came back to her: Her father, held in a police station, her mother gone to bail him out. But that was crazy! Her father was a good man! After coming home, her father had immediately turned on his computer and started working furiously. Her mother had brushed off his behavior, but his daughter had known better. After asking him what he was doing, she wasn't sure that he would even answer, but finally he sighed and rubbed his nose.

'I didn't do it, Locke,' He explained. 'I wasn't even there. I was on my way home when the police surprised me and forced me into the car. I didn't know why until they said I was under arrest for attempted robbery. I told them that was crazy but they didn't listen. So now, I'm trying to find a guy that looks like me. He would probably have a criminal record, or at least some history of altercation with the police. If I can find him, I can get my name cleared and get that article off the internet,' He finished, looking at her. She was quiet for a few minutes, then kissed his forehead.

'I believe you are innocent, and I hope you find your man,' She replied, her tone sincere. 'But...why do you want the article off the internet so badly?' A dark shadow passed over her father's face.

'Listen to me, honey. Don't ever put your name on the internet. You should always use your nickname or a fake name in public. Don't put any pictures on. Keep yourself off of the internet at all costs. It's just a hunch, but...never mind. Just, please try and keep yourself off the internet, okay? I'm afraid it may already be too late for me...' He sighed and turned back to his computer. She was quiet for a long time then. After a long pause, she quietly said,

'Alright, Dad. But...what should I call myself?' She smiled lopsidedly. Her dad turned to her and hugged her.

'How about...Sherlock? You know how you're already my own little Locke...' He smiled at her.

'I've already changed the name on your birth certificate...and I don't think there's anything else with your name like that on it,' He had said to her. She had taken to the nickname immediately, from there on calling herself Sherlock, which eventually she shortened into Locke. Her dad always pronounced it 'Lockie', and he was the only one allowed to do so. To the rest of the world, she was Lock: fatherless, motherless, scarred by her father's death. A tragedy who locked herself away, fearing to be hurt again. She _was _scarred; but not a tragedy. Locke was determined to make the most out of her time left. A tribute to her father.

**Howdy again, **

**Just wanted to add something I forgot in the first chapter.**

**I have a friend who I talk to on PM who's helped me out sooooo much, I can't thank her enough! Her name is Thiefheart, and ****if you could take a minute to go check out her stuff, it would be amazing! You won't regret it :D**

**That is all! Have a lovely day!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! :D **

**I want to thank everyone who's taken time to read my story and/or follow it, I really appreciate it!**

**It's still kinda slow...I'm trying to keep with the actual plot of Death Note...but, there's some action coming up in the next chapter! Be ready! XD**

**I don't own Death Note...*le sigh***

**TO VICTORY! Or Chapter 3...:D**

Locke frowned. The only thing she couldn't understand is how the police had come to the same conclusions she'd come to. They weren't that smart. They must have someone helping them. She scoured the internet and television channels in her free time, waiting for a clue to who was helping the police.

Meanwhile, more criminals died, all by Kira. She poured over the internet, trying to find connections. There were so many Kira sites, but no real information. She researched backgrounds on the criminals, and suddenly gasped. She remembered her father telling her to keep her name and face off of the internet. Sure enough, every criminal that had died, including her father, had their name and picture up on the internet. Locke stood up suddenly. She had to get to police headquarters! She had to tell whoever was heading the investigation. She rushed out the door and hailed a cab. Downtown at the HQ, she rushed up to the front desk.

'I need to see whoever's heading the Kira investigation,' she said frantically to the guy at the desk. The man frowned at her.

'I'm sorry miss, that investigation is classified. I could get you a meeting with Chief Yagami...wait, how do you even know about this?" He said, scratching his head and looking Locke up and down. Locke shook her head impatiently and repeated her order. The man refused.

'Please, you don't understand! This is crucial information! Tell Mr. Yagami that I need to talk to whoever's helping him!' She said again desperately. Once again the man shook his head. Locke saw him go to press a button, presumably for security. She hastily backed away and ran out of the door.

'Wait, miss! Please, come back!' The man cried, getting out a walkie talkie, which he discarded in favor of a man walking by the desk.

'Mr. Yagami! Please, over here!' He said to the man, who obeyed.

'What is it? I've had a long day,' Replied Soichiro Yagami, Chief and Head of Police.

'Well sir...this young woman, a teenager really, just came bursting in asking to see you,' He said nervously. 'Actually, she mentioned the Kira investigation, and wanted to talk to whoever was in charge. When I said you were in charge, she said she wanted to talk to whoever was helping you!' Chief Yagami started. Who was this girl? No one knew they were working with L! Unless...L himself had told her? But he was a social recluse! Impossible. Probably just some wannabe detective trying to look cool. Either way, he'd have to talk with L. He thanked the man at the desk and walked back into the meeting room, asking to speak with L alone.

'Yes? What is it?' L's disguised voice said from the laptop.

'Have you told anyone about this investigation? That you're working with us?' Yagami said abruptly. There was a pause. L replied that he hadn't, and Yagami explained what had happened earlier. L thanked him and switched off the mike. Someone who knew he was working with taskforce? Impossible. Unless...it was Kira, trying to throw him off...No, Kira was too smart for that. He instructed that if ever the girl come in again, to have her speak with Yagami. Better to keep her under surveillance and clear it up. Well, if that girl knew, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the public knew, so he had better execute his plan tomorrow. Let Kira know who he was dealing with.

Locke sighed in frustration. Not only did the police not take her seriously, they could have used her information! No matter, if whoever was working with the Taskforce was smarter than the lot put together, surely he would have figured it out. All that was left to do was wait. She sighed and turned on the TV to the news.

She stayed in front of the TV all night and the next morning was rewarded when the regular news was interrupted by a feed from Interpol. ICPO? She hadn't expected that, but no matter, a speaker was introducing himself as head of the taskforce. Yes! She knew there was someone else! But, was he really that stupid? Showing himself on a broadcast? She sat stunned as he introduced himself as L. Mentally she reminded herself to do a background check on this L. If he was the real thing, he wasn't as smart as she had guessed, obviously. She listened to his speech about how Kira was evil and how he would catch him. She got more and more worried as the speech went on, just waiting for him to die. Suddenly, L gasped and clutched at his heart, falling over dead.

'Dammit!' Locke cried, slamming her fist down. Idiot! But...wait! What was this? The screen turned white with a black L, and the real L, or so he claimed, went on to dare Kira to kill him. Locke was on the edge of her seat. This L was good! Very good. He came to the same conclusions she did, and then some. The 'worldwide broadcast' was only in Japan, which meant...Kira was near her! She quivered with rage. Kira _will _pay for what he did to her father. She won't rest until he was arrested!


	4. Chapter 4

**Salutations! XD **

**So I tried to make this chapter a bit longer, and have more of Locke's backstory...the story will pick up soon I swear! **

**Other than that, thank you to everyone who's taken the time to read and/or follow! You guys are the best :D Unlike others, I don't really mind if you don't review, if you read the story and like it, that's enough for me. If you like it so much you have an overpowering urge to review, well by all means review! XD**

**SO, carry on to chapter 4! X3**

Locke spent all her free time poring over every criminal case her father had looked at. With her three jobs, her sister and her mom to take care of plus still trying to maintain a good average at school, there wasn't much time left to work on the case; so she set up her computer so that whenever there was an update on the Kira case, it was sent directly to her computer.

By checking her computer whenever she had a break, she was able to find out that the police expected Kira was a student. Much to her surprise, after they had decided that, Kira's killings changed. Obviously, Kira knew that the police knew. Maybe he had inside connections. _Hey, if even I can get into the system, surely someone who's avoided police capture for this long has no problem cracking their passwords, _Locke thought to herself. But, did the police know that? Maybe they thought he was just changing his ways. She couldn't really tell them that their security systems sucked, because that would just backfire on her...but aside from that, it was obvious that Kira could control his killings. Just how much control did this person have over life and death?

She was so tired of being behind on the case...she _needed_ to speak to this L! Locke was torn between the decision to go to the police headquarters and staying home. Even if she really didn't have any business working on the case, she still wanted to help. She felt like she owed L something for taking the Kira case into his hands. _Why would I owe him anything? It's not like he's done anything for me, he's just doing it for justice, _Locke mentally battled with herself.

'And, that's a sign that you're going crazy and you need to sleep,' Locke muttered out loud to herself. She sighed in frustration. She couldn't go to the police. She couldn't go anywhere, except maybe her bedroom to have a nap. As she trudged up the stairs, she went back over her family's status in her head.

It had been 4 months since her father was murdered. Her sister was gradually coming out of her shell, a centimeter at a time. Right now, Locke was trying to get her to talk to others, even if it was only a 'Hello!' It was so frustrating, and her sister had barely made any progress that Locke was almost on the point of giving up. The only thing that kept her going was the memory of her father, and how he never gave up on anything and always encouraged Locke to do her best, even if it was exhausting. Her father was the one person who Locke could trust above all others. In fact, he was the only one she trusted.

_I can't believe he's gone..._Locke sniffed unexpectedly. These moments kept coming up...out of the blue, she would break down and cry about her father. She kept trying to force the feelings to go away, but then again, she was only human. Slowly, her heart was getting harder, with each moment when her mother threw bottles at her, when her sister didn't even recognize her, when the teachers kept her after class for falling asleep in class. She didn't socialize, she didn't laugh or smile or joke around. Her face was her mask, and she wore it to protect herself.

Her normal routine helped her greatly in keeping herself together. Get up at 4, work until 7, go to school until 2:30, wait until 3:45 for her sister to get out of school, drop sister off at home, go to work from 4-6, come home, make dinner and wake mother up; then put her sister to bed and finally work from 8 to 12:30. Usually she would check her computer at 1 and work more on the Kira case until 2. Her body eventually grew used to having only two hours of sleep, but she still stole opportunities to doze whenever they came up.

The weekends were a bit easier, where she could escape for a few hours from her mother's drunken rages and her sister's blank stare. She paid the bills on the weekend, and whatever was left over she used to buy groceries. It was usually a tight fit, because her jobs of course only paid minimum. Sometimes, she wouldn't have enough and she would panic, until one day she found out that she didn't have to pay the bills on the day that they arrived.

Her mother was no help in any way. Usually she could be found passed out in her room, but sometimes she would be awake and almost sober. It was then that Locke would tell her about how she was doing at school and how her sister was coming along, because in the end, it was her mother and she still loved her.

But sometimes, Locke would walk in on her mother, only to find her awake and livid. Usually she could dodge the bottles, but not always. She had scars up and down her body from shattered glass that would embed itself into her skin. Locke didn't dare go to the hospital in fear of being taken by a social worker, so she had to pick the glass out herself. She didn't get angry at her mother; because she knew that her mother was hurting deeply. They all were.

Lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, she sat up suddenly. Her mother...well, she hadn't really checked on her in a while. She had been awfully quiet lately...not even bothering to get up and scream obscenities at Locke. She didn't really want to...but Locke got up anyways and trudged to her mother's room.

'Mom?' She called, tentatively knocking on the door. No answer.

'Mom, I'm coming in, don't throw anything,' She called as she slowly pushed open the door. Her brain took a while to process the image before her and she stood there, blinking, until it caught up to her eyes and she started screaming.

She tried to stuff her hands into her mouth to stop the screaming but it didn't work. Biting down on her knuckles hard enough to draw blood, she turned to run away, but tripped over her own feet. Locke lay on the floor, trying frantically to scramble away. Her mind was screaming at her to shut her eyes, but her eyes would not comply. Her gaze would not tear itself away from the image inside her mother's bedroom. After repeatedly biting down on her hand, she was finally able to turn her head and scramble out of the room.

Once again, she ran out of the house and down the street. As she ran, the scene kept replaying itself inside her head, until eventually all she could see was her mother's room. Locke couldn't see where she was going anymore, and so she tripped and went tumbling down a hill. Coming to a rest at the bottom, she closed her eyes and stuffed her sleeve in her mouth to muffle the screams. Her mother...she couldn't believe her mother would do that.

The picture, forever imprinted in her brain: Her mother, neck kinked at an unnatural angle; hanging by the fan from the rope of bed sheets she had tied together and slowly rotating with the fan's blades. Suicide. Locke tried to get the scene out of her mind. She couldn't believe it. She had always known her mother to be the kind of person that had no will of their own; they just went along with what other people told them. Locke never imagined her mother would be able to commit suicide.

_I guess sometimes, grief is so overpowering in some people that they lose themselves. I should have known. I should have stopped her! I could have gotten her help! But now, she's gone..._Now, she was alone. Locke had failed her father, and then failed her mother. She didn't deserve anything. _But I will give you everything, _Locke swore to herself. She would do all she could to make things right.

But...what would her sister do now? She was only just beginning to respond to the world again. Locke's lower lip trembled. She would have to call social security for her sister. Locke wouldn't be able to live if something happened to her sister now. She had to send her somewhere safe. Away from the wretchedness that her family had become. Maybe, in time, her sister would forget everything. Start over. Locke knew that it was not possible for herself to forget, but maybe in time it wouldn't feel like she was shattering into a million pieces. Maybe.

There wasn't anything she could do now; she was too weak to move. So she closed her eyes and let sleep pull her down into its dark embrace.

**Thank you to all my reviewers! It means so much to me (:**

**magickedJengi: Thank you! I'm trying not to rush anything...:p**

**Minnesota1: Thank you so much! It means a lot to me that you like my story :D This update's for you!**

**Memory25: Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate having people to give me some constructive criticism (wow, I sound like an old person :p) and I'll take your advice to heart (:**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! **

**So, first off i want to thank my best friend Ryan for helping me with the editing of this chapter, you're awesome! :D**

**I promise the story is going to pick up soon, I just need to get some stuff out of the way! D: Hang in there!**

**Thanks to all my ghosts/reviewers/followers! You guys are all amazing and beautiful people! XD**

**Carry on to Chapter 5! c:**

When Locke came to, she couldn't remember anything for a moment, but soon enough it all came rushing back. To her surprise, the tears she was expecting did not fall. Perhaps she had given up on her mother a long time ago. It still hurt, but it was manageable as Locke slowly stood up and began the walk to her house. She didn't bother trying to process this turn of events in her mind; she would just break down again. Instead, she focused on her private investigation. How could she get the police's attention, let alone L's attention, in a good way? She'd read he was some kind of genius, solving every crime he'd laid his hands on. He would need convincing before he ever let her near him.

She was so wrapped up in thought that she didn't notice the door to her house was ajar. Tentatively pushing open the door, she found that it was eerily silent. Did someone break in? What crappy timing...they would sure get a shock when they discovered her mother's body! Just to be safe, she checked her sister's room, but she was nowhere to be found.  
Slightly worried now, she scoured the rest of the house, but no signs of break-ins were found, or her sister, for that matter. Her mother was still hanging in her room, which meant that the police hadn't found out yet. A horrible thought struck Locke.  
_What if...what if my sister found the body? _Locke fretted, the thought becoming more and more concrete as she realized that was probably what had happened. After just barely making progress after her father's death...her sister would be shattered. Locke hurriedly grabbed a coat and dashed out the door to look for her sister.

_Where would she be? _Locke frantically wracked her brain for any kind of clue. _Wait...wasn't there one place she had always loved? Where our father used to always take us? But...where was it, damn it! _Locke couldn't remember. Nature...Her sister had always loved nature...That was it! The park! The one with the sakura trees that they both loved to play in! With determination in her step, Locke sprinted in the direction of the park.

Not long after, Locke found her sister in the park, huddled under the bench they had played on when they were children. She looked around and realized she hadn't been there since she was 12 years old. She could still remember how the sakura blossoms smelled, and how she would sit on the swings, sullen, while she watched her sister and father play together. She would pretend like she was too old to play, but when her father lifted her up off the swing and swooped her up into a tree, she wouldn't stop him. Although she didn't like being up so high, the presence of her father made her feel safe, a safe like she hadn't experienced anywhere else. Happy...it had been so long since she had felt any emotion akin to happiness.

A whimper brought her mind back, and she blinked. Snapping back to reality, Locke checked her sister over for any damage, but she appeared to be okay, other than her state of extreme shock. Helping her trembling sister up, she half carried, half supported her sister to the road, where she called a cab and directed it to the nearest hospital. Once at the hospital, she told the front desk that her sister was suffering from severe shock and the nurse told her to wait for a doctor. Luckily the nurse didn't ask how she got in that state, because Locke didn't think she had it in her to tell anyone yet, or even to think about it...  
Locke filled out the form, thanked the nurse, sat her sister down in a chair and walked out.

She only felt a slight twinge of guilt at leaving her sister there, but she had put a note in her sister's pocket saying to drop her off at the social services place. It was Locke's only option. They would know what to do with her.  
Free of all her burdens, Locke walked around town, wandering almost blindly in the dark when an idea struck her. She would camp outside police HQ and tail them to see if they went anywhere suspicious! With a determined mind, Locke went home and grabbed a few outfits to put in her suitcase. She took her laptop, all the money in the house and her mom's purse. Whistling now, she got a cab downtown and set up camp across the street from police HQ. Locke smiled for almost the first time in weeks. Now all she had to do was wait.

After a few weeks of tailing what appeared to be the Chief, Mr. Yagami, it was apparent that nothing was happening anytime soon. She had found out where most of the team lived, but never had she once seen the elusive L. Obviously he wouldn't go to headquarters himself, with Kira on the loose, so he must have a stand-in of some kind. But where was he staying? He wasn't from Japan, as she had discovered on the internet. Maybe he has a home somewhere here? Or maybe he was in a hotel? Either way, it would be too difficult to search for one person. She sighed in frustration.

_L, where are you? _She thought to herself. Shifting her back against the wall, she was just about to close her eyes when she spotted Chief Yagami coming out of the building, which was odd because his shift wasn't over. She sat up straighter as more members of the police came out, which was extremely odd. Quickly packing up, she hailed a cab and instructed the driver to follow one of the cars in which the police had gotten into. She ended up at a hotel.  
_L, I got you! _She smiled, feeling accomplished when Chief Yagami entered the hotel, followed by the other members of the diminished police force. She sat outside across the street and waited.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Chief Yagami walked out and drove away, followed by the other members, with pauses in between the departures. They were clearly trying to not draw attention to themselves. She waited until the last member had disappeared, then peered intently at the hotel doors. L was smart enough not to meet at the place he would be staying, so he had to come out! But it looked like he wasn't going to.

Disappointed, Locke hailed another cab and was about to tell it to go home when someone came out of the hotel doors. He walked hunched over, hands in his pockets, like he was in pain. His hair was raven black and looked like it hadn't seen a brush in his lifetime. His skin was so pale, like a ghost, but with deep black rings under his eyes. Locke immediately had the feeling that this was L.  
Still unsure, she ordered the cab driver to tail L's car. It went well for the first while, but then his car began to make crazy turns and generally wasn't going anywhere. Locke could tell that L knew he was being followed. She wasn't going to get anywhere, so she told the cab to stop, paid her fare and got out dejectedly.  
She watched while L's car slowly drove away and she trailed after it half-heartedly, but she knew they were gone.

Sighing, she located some nearby apartments and deftly scaled the fire escape, ending up on the roof. Taking out her laptop, she hacked into one of the nearby resident's wifi and furiously worked on her own Kira case, while researching L too, until she was so tired she almost fell asleep three times. Finally deciding to call it quits, Locke took out her blanket and piled a bunch of clothes under her head for a pillow.

Staring at the stars, she tried to get some rest while attempting to suppress the feeling of crushing defeat. She almost had him! If it was him, and she was almost certain it was, Locke knew he wouldn't take kindly to someone following him. Dozing off, her last thought was that she would have to take extra precautions from now on.

**Thanks a bunch to my reviewers! :D**

**Memory25: Thank you so much! I tried to take your advice and use it as much as I could, yes I know my paragraphs are weird but I don't like having huge blocks of text either; that's why I separate them so often...:s I tried to see what you were saying about the explaining too much thing, but it's hard when I am the one writing and reading it...I still tried though! XD**

**Minnesota1: Haha, yay! Thanks XD I tried to put her sister in more...but she's not really a key character...as you can tell in this chapter :P **

**Thiefheart-Time: Thanks, friend! :D I know! I had to get some drama in there! XD Aw, thanks! I try and improve when I can...and don't worry! Any advice I get from you will be amazing, I'm sure (:**

**ryan0788: OMG, THANKS! XD **

**End note: I'm not going to use the honorifics of -kun, -san or -chan, just because I'm English and don't feel comfortable using them because I don't know if I use them right XD Alright, BYEEE!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello! :D**

**So, I know this update was a bit late...I'm kind of struggling to write this, there's a lot going on...but don't worry, I'm not going to give up! I'm doing it for you! :')**

**Anyways, HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND! :D I'm thankful too all you guys who read my story! I****t really makes it worthwhile when I know people read my shtuff XD**

**SWAMPY, AWAY! TO CHAPTER 6!**

L sat impassively, crouched on his chair with his knees pulled up to his chest; long, tapered fingers resting on his knees. He was reviewing the film he had managed to download from his satellite after the curious events following his meeting with the police.

From the moment he had exited the building, he was aware of a girl watching him from across the street. Of course, what kind of detective would he be if he didn't notice? He had ordered Watari to drive like nothing was wrong, all the while watching the girl. She had gotten into a cab and presumably told the driver to follow his car. After a few minutes, he had instructed Watari to make it obvious that he was trying to shake them off. Good-naturedly, the girl had realized he knew, and got out of the cab. L ordered Watari to drive home quickly, and as soon as he got home he had looked up the satellite for the area surrounding the hotel he had called the supposedly private meeting at.

After reviewing the tape, he came to several conclusions. Obviously, she had tailed the police before; he would have to notify them. Or...perhaps not? L chewed the tip of his thumb pensively. _This girl...could she be the girl that Yagami told me about? If so, she might have information pending to the Kira case. Of course, she would probably have nothing that I haven't already figured out, but really, with 5 members of taskforce remaining then what is the harm? Unless, she is in fact Kira, and was tailing us to kill us...but there was a 95% chance that is not the case_. L sighed.

'Watari, get me all the information you can on this girl. Find out where she's from and what she has to do with Kira,' L said into a microphone, before settling back with his piece of strawberry shortcake. After just two bites, Watari called back, saying there was an email for him. L set down his cheesecake. This girl...there was barely anything on her. School records...that was it. She had a fake name on her birth certificate; _if that even was her birth certificate, _L mused. _All babies look the same to me...I do not see what women find appealing in them. _

After searching in vain for more information, L had come to a decision.

'If you decide to tail us again, you might find our headquarters and we can't have that happening. Hopefully, we'll be able to bring you in for observation soon, but for now, it's your move,' He turned back to his shortcake and dug in.

Locke sat up and rubbed her eyes. For a moment she was confused and didn't know where she was. _A...roof? Oh, _she sighed when she remembered how close she'd come to getting L. She was pretty sure she would not be able to trace him again; he was too clever for that. She had blown her chance. But instead of feeling depressed, she turned her attention to the police and their contacts. Locke needed to focus on her Kira case.

Whoever Kira was, they had access to classified information and so she began compiling a list of all family members in their teens for all police officers, even the ones that had supposedly deserted.

Doing that took her a long time, because she still had to work and get money for food. Kira kept killing all the while. By the time she was done compiling information, she was fairly certain that L would have done way more than her in half that time. She shook her head. _No thinking negative. When you think negative, you get sloppy. When you get sloppy, you miss opportunities. You have to keep your eyes open and your head clear._ Maybe she'd luck out and spot L again.

Sighing, she began her walk to her work, because she was running dangerously low on money. She had picked up a job at a quaint corner cafe as a waitress some time ago and she worked there uneventfully most days of the week. Today, she was assigned a booth in the corner and as she approached, she caught a glimpse of raven hair and froze in shock. L was here! She snapped out of it and hurried over to the table where the genius was sitting in what looked like a really uncomfortable position. Quickly shutting her features down into her 'I'm just a pleasant waitress, trying to get through the day' face, she gave a small curtsey to the man who could possibly be L.

'Hi, can I take your order?' Locke coolly asked. 'L' looked up at her, features a mask of blankness.

'Yes, I'll have the strawberry shortcake,' He said in a monotone, wide eyes drifting back to the table in front of him. Locke composed herself and walked away.

As she turned the corner, she almost collapsed. He was everything she'd read about! Apparently he was emotionless, focusing fully on his work and basically shunning any relationships. He lived off of sugar and was very...quirky. She would have to play it cool with him. As she returned with his cake, she mentally prepared herself with what she was going to say.

Placing his cake in front of him, she smiled politely.

'Tough times about this Kira person,' She commented casually. L looked up at her for a fleeting moment but then his eyes locked onto the dessert in her hands.

'Yes...I suppose it is,' he replied, never taking his eyes off his cake. Locke bit back a frown. How could she get him to confess he was L?

'I wonder how many people quit the police force after finding out that Kira kills with a name and a face?' She mused, feeling a thrill of victory when L's head snapped up sharply and his eyes locked on hers.

'...Indeed. Tell me, how is it that a young woman like yourself knows so much about Kira?' He asked, his eyes narrowing. Locke could almost see his brain whirring away. She decided to throw the subtlety.

'I have my own...ways...of getting information. I think I could greatly benefit the remaining members and their leader,' She said confidently, still under L's probing gaze. She saw something click in that unfathomable gaze, and his eyes tightened a fraction.

'So it was you,' He murmured, more to himself than to Locke. 'I knew it...' He abruptly stood, making sure to pick up his shortcake as he did so.

'You are going to come with me,' He said carelessly, slouching out of the diner. He didn't turn around to see if Locke was following him, because he knew she would be.

'You are to call me Ryuzaki at all times, I'm sure you are quite aware of the reason behind it. You will be placed under observation when we reach Headquarters until I deem that you are not affiliated with Kira in any way. Then, you will be free to work with us if you so decide.' He gestured for her to get into a car that was waiting at the curb. She complied, noting how the seats were real leather. _As if L would drive something inexpensive,_ she chided herself.

For the rest of the trip, it was silent. Locke was too busy thinking about what she should say to L when they got to their destination and L was too busy eating his shortcake to make any conversation. The driver, Watari as L had called him, was silent as well. Locke was too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice the car pulling up at a huge building that towered above them._ Holy crap..._Locke's jaw dropped. L gestured at Locke to get out. She was in awe of the building. It was so...big! And shiny! She stared at everything as they passed. They went through an elaborate system of security which Locke almost cried over before finally reaching the inside of the daunting tower.

'Welcome to Taskforce,' L said emotionlessly. 'We will, of course, be keeping you under observation. Watari will show you to your room,' He continued, clearly dismissing her. Locke kept her face blank as she was led past the curious members of L's Taskforce and was able to catch a snippet of their conversation before she left. '-really think it's wise to bring her in here with us? We don't even know who she is!' Locke smiled thinly. She was going to prove to them that she was better than all of them combined. Even if she wasn't as smart as L, she could still work just as hard.

**Hai again. So, THEY FINALLY MET! XD Anyways, quick note, I'm still not sure what I'm going to do for the rest of the story...:P Right now I'm winging it...I know my storyline might not be exactly like the anime, but that is ON PURPOSE. Yes, you heard. I'm not going to follow the anime or manga exactly, it's more a guideline to me...So the times that things happen are changed. Just so you know and don't rage at me XD**

**ONTO THE REVIEWS! Or review, more like...**

**Memory25: Thanks! I'm trying to consciously put in more effort to see what my readers will see...glad to hear it's working! c: On the other hand, I actually had no intent on making her all cat-woman-y actually :s I just wanted to get her out of the way to sleep or something XD But I'll keep that in mind! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Greetings intrepid explorers if FanFiction! :D**

**So, thanks to all ma peeps out there, I have 13 reviews as of now! My favourite number!**

**I had totally forgotten I'd written this chapter...I was freaking out trying to write chapter 8 XD Oh well, now I'm ready for my next update!**

**Oh, très awkward when I've forgotten all the disclaimers for the past million chapters...:s My soul hasn't been smote down yet though...bonus! XD I DISCLAIM ALL PREVIOUS CHAPTERS: ME NO OWN DEATH NOTE. thank you. **

**LEAD ON! (or read on...XD)**

Locke absent-mindedly picked at the carpet beneath her feet. It wasn't like she was a prisoner here, she just felt...trapped. It had been a few weeks since L had brought her to Headquarters, and she was so tired of just sitting in her room, under 'observation'. She understood where L was coming from, but she could be doing so much more on the Kira case if she was helping! She ground her teeth in frustration, but quickly stopped when she became aware of footsteps in the hall, pausing outside her door. Without hesitation, she leapt up and swung the door open, greeting a surprised L. Locke swallowed a giggle as his face quickly fell blank again.

'Yes...well...I'm sure you're anxious to get out of here and the percentage that you are Kira is so low I feel that it would be waste to keep you in here,' L said. 'I'm going to introduce you to the Taskforce.' He turned and walked away down the hall. Locke quickly smoothed down her hair and clothes and hurried out of her room after L.

Catching up to L just as she came into the room where the others were, Locke suddenly felt intimidated. Chief Yagami and three others were waiting, staring at her. L introduced them as Mogi, Aizawa and Matsuda, the latter who grinned and waved, only to receive an elbow to the chest by Aizawa. She received suspicious looks from all but Matsuda.

'How do we know we can trust her?' Aizawa said frankly, stepping forward and ignoring the looks that Matsuda was giving him. Before he could say something, L cut in.

'I have practically no reason to believe she is Kira, because Kira needs a name and a face to kill and while Locke has been in her room for these past weeks, Kira has been killing criminals that she would have no knowledge of,' L explained calmly. Locke stared coolly back at Aizawa's glare in her direction, but he stepped back all the same.

'Now if you are done cross-examining her, I would like to see her construction of the Kira case from her own resources.' L turned to Locke expectantly. She sighed inwardly as she realized she would be telling the former police officers how she hacked into their system, but she explained everything anyways, leaving out parts about her family and why Kira even mattered to her in the first place. The others looked angry and began to shout when they learned that she was hacking into their database, but L quieted them with a glance. They weren't as bad after, and Matsuda even smiled a little at her when she recounted how she dropped the tips to police that helped catch criminals. By the end, they all looked a little impressed at how she kept up with L, excluding her weeks in confinement. L himself, however, was as emotionless as always. He made no sound throughout her explanation, instead focusing on his coffee.

'Based on that evidence, who do you think is Kira?' L asked bluntly with his back to her, dumping some sugar cubes into a cup of coffee. Locke blinked.

'I really couldn't say...I mean, I haven't been able to work for such a long time...you could have way more suspects than me at this moment,' Locke replied. L showed no reaction to her reply.

'Well, that is unfortunate,' He said, voice indicating he did not care either way. 'However, I would like to discuss some things with you in private,' He continued, still stirring his coffee. Locke nodded her agreement, and at his unspoken request, everyone else silently filed out. Locke and L sat in silence for a while, the only sound the swirling of L's spoon in his coffee. Locke waited patiently until he was satisfied with the result and took a sip.

'I suspect Light Yagami is Kira, which is why I have released you,' L said without preamble. Locke frowned; she remembered that name from somewhere. L passed her a file on Light; Locke then remembered that she had researched Light a little while ago. The Chief's son. She winced in sympathy. If he knew his son was the prime suspect...

'He meets all the requirements for being Kira. I think you should bring him in,' Locke stated, staring at L's back. L nodded as if it didn't really matter what she said; he had already come to a conclusion. He stared at his coffee. He liked her attitude. She was...decisive. Straightforward. Turning to face her, his face was a mask once again. His large, luminous eyes stared at her for what seemed like an eternity, but she coolly returned his gaze, hazel eyes capturing raven ones. L finally broke the silence by saying, 'Normally, that statement would have raised my suspicions of you being Kira,' He commented casually. _And it might still._ 'But, considering the circumstances, I had hardly expected another reply.' Locke nodded, and then frowned.

'How are you going to tell Mr. Yagami?' She asked, and L seemed to consider the question thoughtfully.

'It doesn't matter. This is an investigation, and whoever couldn't deal with it should not be here now,' L replied, peering at Locke's face again. Locke merely nodded again, a bit confused by his use of past tense in that sentence. She brushed it off as another quirk of his. Yes, he was definitely eccentric, this detective. Locke came and sat down beside him.

'Mind if I work with you here?' She asked, not bothering to wait for a response as she booted up a computer. L simply went back to his coffee. She was strange, indeed..._Obviously someone in her family was killed by Kira; hence her determination to catch him...but where was the rest of her family? Wouldn't they go looking for her? No, if she had family she wouldn't spend her days tailing police officers and her nights sleeping on rooftops. Although I did manage to reveal she has a sister...I wonder what happened to her?_ L mused. He sat thinking for a while, unravelling Locke's life until he gradually became aware that she was saying something to him.

'Ryuzaki, are you okay?' She asked, looking at him. He just stared back, confused.

'You were staring at me...for a really long time,' Locke continued, turning back to her computer. 'Just checking to see if you were freaking out.' L blinked slowly. It's not like he was doing it consciously...he sighed and turned back to doing work. The two typed in silence for a while, until the rest of Taskforce returned and stood awkwardly in a corner. Finally Matsuda asked L what they were supposed to do.

'I don't know; go look through those files over there. Make yourself useful,' L replied distractedly, staring at his computer and biting at his thumb. _Should I tell her now? It wouldn't hurt...There's really no point in keeping secrets from her. If she wants to work here, she has to be ready for anything. _L stood suddenly and walked out of the room. Locke stared at his retreating form for a while and then turned back to work. _He's so weird._

**Hello again! So, this chapter's kind of a filler to show you what's been going on since Locke had been inducted into Taskforce, the next chapter's my attempt at humor XD I might be contradicting myself here, but as I said last time, I do know where my story's going, just not how to get there...but it's coming along! **

**To ma reviewas! :D**

**Memory25: Woah, long review...full of lovely criticism XD Okay, the cake shop was just something I put in there to have them meet, I based it off of the one L and Light went to when they first met...yeah it was kindof lame but I had to have them meet somehow. No, Locke's dad didn't fake her birth certificate, he just changed the name, which I don't know if you can actually do but it seemed legit at the time. Also, I am in no way close to the writers of Death Note and so I cannot hope to get L's personality down exactly, but I'm trying. L did not 'give up' on her, he knew she would be around there because she was so devoted to finding him. Also, this chapter explains what happened after he brought Locke in. He kept her under surveillance, ok? He didn't just not suspect she was Kira, he needed to confirm stuffs. Mainly, he brought her in because he didn't want her following him and the other Taskforce members around or leaking stuff out. **

**Minnestoa1: Thank you so much! :D It means alot when I hear someone likes my chapters (: Haha don't worry, I accept all reviews whenever they come!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey hey! :D**

**SO, chapter 8! Woot Woot! *dances* I'm still conflicted about how the story will end though...because even though everyone loves happy endings (including me) we all know that life (especially Death Note) usually doesn't have happy endings. So I have to make a tough decision...:s**

**Anyways, I'm feeling productive this week, hopefully I'll get chapter 9 done and it will be good, I've also drawn a crapload of Soul Eater art...:p **

**Disclaimer thingy: NOBODY KNOWS WHAT I OWN. Except for Death Note...:(**

**SO, ONTO CHAPTER 8! (coincidence; this is my favourite chapter so far and 8 is Death the Kid's favourite number...we're meant to be! XD)**

A while after Locke had been introduced to the Taskforce, she noticed that everyone seemed a little tense and on edge. She felt the strain in the air and wondered what it was.

'Hey, L, what happened to Mr. Yagami?' She asked the detective, who was busy eating some shortcake. His eyes widened as he stopped eating for a moment, then held up a finger in her direction until he was done his cake.

'There's been something I've been meaning to tell you,' He began. Was it just her, or did he seem...uncomfortable?

'I have already placed Light Yagami under supervision. He is in a cell that is under constant watch. Just a few days ago, Soichiro asked to be put in a cell too. He felt it was...unfair to his son.' Locke blinked.

'What? Why didn't you tell me that?' She queried, a bit confused. 'I could have done a lot more on the case if I had known...' L shrugged imperceptibly .

'Yes...well...that's not all,' He continued, Locke sighed. _There's always something else..._

'I brought in your sister,' Locke froze for a moment, not hearing what he said.

'What?...What did you just say?' She managed to get out, her throat suddenly seeming to shrink. L adjusted his position on the chair and sighed.

'We had to bring her in, unless we wanted social workers swarming the building. By law, your parents named you her guardian and so she's your responsibility now. I took the liberty of bringing her here so that we could avoid messy issues. I dislike having my workspace crowded up,' L said off-handedly, not seeming to notice that Locke was practically steaming.

'What gives you the_ right, _in _any case,_ to bring my_ sister_ in?!' Locke screeched, voice going higher with each word. L winced at the noise and turned his chair so he wasn't facing her.

'Please refrain from shouting. I'm concerned you might have damaged my ear drums and that would be highly unsatisfactory,' He said, hunching over. Locke glared at his back, quivering with rage.

'You want _unsatisfactory?! _I'll _give _you unsatisfactory!' She yelled, picking up a nearby book and chucking it at his back. She watched with relish as the book hurtled toward him and waited for the _thunk_ of the book hitting his back to come, but it never did. Locke gaped in amazement. L had actually managed to spin the chair around and catch the book. He looked up at her disdainfully.

'Please don't throw books at me, it's very counter-productive,' He said tonelessly, turning back to the desk. Locke was still fuming, so she picked up another book as quietly as she could and threw it swiftly at him again. She was so sure it would hit him this time, she could almost hear the smack as it connected to his stupid head. _No, wait..._L had thrown up a hand and deflected the book to the ground! Locke cursed loudly as L slowly wheeled his chair around for the second time. His head was bowed, but when he raised it she instinctually backed away. His eye had a..._gleam_ in it.

'So that's how you want to play...' He murmured, and Locke's sense of danger tingled. Adrenaline rushed through her and she crouched into a fighting position that she had seen on television once. Slowly raising one hand, she beckoned at him using two fingers. _Come get me. _L's facial features did not change, but Locke could swear he was smiling. Suddenly, he leaped over his chair and landed in front of her, just inches away.

'There's a 97% chance you will lose if you fight me,' L said in his monotone, black eyes boring into Locke's. Locke just grinned savagely.

'Three percent's all I need to beat you, _L_,' She said, baring her teeth. L blinked.

'I have given you fair warning. Don't-' L was cut off by Locke's sudden punch at his head. He swiftly blocked and returned with a backhand that cracked Locke's head to the side.

'I warned you that-' He was cut off again by Locke's fierce flurry of punches, flails and kicks that didn't really come close to hurting him but kept him busy trying to fend them off. Unbeknownst to the sparring couple, the rest of the Taskforce had sneaked in and were now watching what appeared to be a battle to the death. Matsuda had tried to go and break them up, but Aizawa had held him back.

'Let them fight. It will teach both of them a lesson,' He had said, smiling maliciously.

Meanwhile, Locke was desperately trying to block L's expert attacks and only barely succeeding. She took multiple punches to the face before getting her guard up to block a vicious uppercut from L and returning with a right hook that L received on his cheek. He seemed shocked to have been hit, then quickly countered with a two punch combo to Locke's chest, finishing with an elbow to her jaw. Finally, panting hard with sweat dripping down her face, she dropped her guard and took the full impact of a kick to the side of the head which sent her flying into the wall. She lay at the bottom in a heap and didn't move. L lowered his leg and cautiously ambled over to where Locke lay. The rest of the Taskforce members rushed over and started bombarding L with angry questions.

'What were you thinking, L?! She's only a girl!' 'L, is she alright? Should we call a doctor?' 'What's your problem L, do you like beating up little girls or something?' L grew fed up of their barrage and turned to face the men. As he opened his mouth to speak, however, something happened. Locke shot up from where she lay and jumped on an unsuspecting L's back, screaming like a banshee with blood trickling down her face. L was startled into a natural reaction of flipping the poor girl forward over his back and onto the floor, pinning her down with his foot. The men of the Taskforce broke out into angry comments again.

'I told you that you would lose,' L stated. 'That wasn't nearly as challenging as I had hoped it would have been.' He turned to walk back to his desk and Locke, gasping for breath, spun herself around on the floor and swept L's legs out from beneath him, keeping her legs wrapped around his so he couldn't land on his feet. With multiple bruises, cuts and various other inflictions on her body, Locke was still able give a grin as L toppled over. She crawled over L's body and locked her arms around his and secured his legs, effectively trapping him on the floor. The other members of the Taskforce were frozen in shock for a moment, before exploding into shouts and congratulations (except for Aizawa, who disapproved of the whole thing from the start).

'Yeah, Locke! I knew you could do it!' 'Aizawa, you owe me 10 dollars!' 'Yeah, whatever, it was just luck. Wasn't even a real fight anyways.' 'Good job, Locke. That was a brave fight you put up there.'

Locke beamed at everyone (except for Aizawa) and thanked them for the compliments. She still had L in a death grip and wasn't about to let go until she got some answers.

'Now, L, how about that 3 percent?' She said victoriously, savouring the moment. It's not every day the great L was defeated, and she planned to rub it in. A lot.

'Yes...well...I've had a few percentages that were wrong before,' L muttered, his face partially squished by the carpet. 'Although you are very determined, I'll give you that.' Locke smiled. That was about the closest L would get to admitting he had gotten beaten. By a girl.

Locke rolled off of him, still keeping her grip on his arms and legs so he didn't try and run away. Propping him up so they were now facing each other, Locke's face grew serious.

'Ryuzaki...L...please, why did you have to bring my sister here?' Locke asked quietly, some of her previous anger returning to colour her voice. L just stared at her blankly.

_How could he do this to me?! I dropped my sister off for a reason! She can't interact with anyone! She was destroying my life! I can`t believe he would do this...does he even know what it will do to me? I can't bear to see her again, not after what I did...Oh, god, I deserted my own sister! I left her when she was helpless and needed me! I'm a horrible person...L probably knows that. That's why he did it!_ _He knows everything..._Locke's internal rage at L dissolved her into tears. Within minutes she was shaking with sobs so hard she couldn't keep herself up. She slumped forward into L's unsuspecting arms, leaving the detective with a shivering girl he had no idea what to do with. Slowly, he lowered his arms and awkwardly patted her back and head, feeling absurd. _This is ridiculous. I have better things to be doing than comforting some teenager. Teenagers cry all the time, she needs to get over it. _But for some reason, he stayed there, on the floor, until her sobs subsided into sniffles, holding her in his arms.

**SO, that was my attempt at a bit of humour and stuff, Locke's butt got totally kicked by L XD But he underestimated her determination, that's why she ended up winning. Haha :p Yo, anyone know if the band Imagine Dragons is going to tour Canada?...**

**REVIEWAS (thanks y'all :D):**

**Memory25: Well, I'm just glad it makes sense to you now :) Ha, well I'm trying...Anyways...Okay, I had written this chapter even before your review because I felt the need to show that side of L too, hopefully this chapter does it justice...Like I said, i'm trying to get his personality but he is really a hard character to write because if you make him too sarcastic or too blank or too animated, it all ends up being bad. I think I'll go re-watch the series and try and incorporate more stuff, but for now I hope this chapter kind of shows his childish side (e.g, beating up a girl because he doesn't want to lose).**

**Minnesota1: I'm your favorite?! :'D That made my day! My hat's off to you, ma'am XD Aw, of course we are, eh? Haha, is it the Mitt Romney/Barrack Obama thing? I'd vote Obama...c: Yes actually I have been to New York! Only for 3 days...it was very dirty and smoky and stuff...not my kind of jam at all :s YES! COME TO CANADA! Muahahahah*cough cough* I mean, Canada's a really nice place...with nice people...and food...and stuff...XD Thank youuuu hehe **

**Witch-Werewolf-luv-twi-loner: Wow, I like your username XD Haha, thank you! I'm glad you like it so far! **


	9. Chapter 9

**HOLY COW GUYS, I'm so sorry! Almost 2 weeks without an update, don't hate me! **

**Literally, I had no time to write at all! I started this story when school started, which in retrospect was pretty stupid of me (oh well) but I haven't really had much work to do until now, all of a sudden I just got a pile of work and was so busy with extra-curricular things and personal stuff I couldn't find time to write at all...:/ **

**I am going to do my best though, updates might not be as frequent as before but I haven't given up! You guys are my biggest inspirations! :D**

**Yes, I'm going to bring in Light Yagami soon, don't know how that's going to turn out...I think at that point I'm going to deviate from the actual plot line though. **

**But enough talking! Onto chapter 9! Finally! (: (btw those "..." you see in between paragraphs are meant to be perspective breaks...I don't know, ok?)**

Locke sneaked a quick glance over at the raven-haired man sitting beside her. It was still awkward for Locke to think of her crying on him. She'd gone so long without crying, but it all had to come out sometime...unless you were L, of course. Locke hadn't seen any emotion from him whatsoever, apart from their fight and when he had held her after. She still didn't know why he did that. L was just so...awkward, it was hard to think of him as caring. Locke was fascinated by him. She wanted to study him, to see if there really was a man behind the mask of the famous detective. She wanted to know that he wasn't just blank, that he actually felt things and was just very good at hiding them.

_But you do know he's not just blank, _her inner voice whispered. _You know, because you were him once. _Locke bit her lip at that thought. After her dad died...it had been a rough period for all of her family. Locke had at first been violent, rejecting anyone who had confirmed her father's death. She would scream at her teachers in school, slap her classmates if they tried to help her with her things and cursed at almost everyone who crossed her path. She went on a path to self-destruction.

Frowning. Locke tried to push those memories back to the corner of her mind. They weren't helping her now; it did no good to dwell in the past.

_That's not what you thought back then, _the voice came back and whispered again. Locke shook her head to try and get rid of it. She had been constantly haunted by that voice since her father's death. Sometimes it was encouraging, praising her for her accomplishments. Other times, it got angry, harsh, even abusive at times. Locke was sure it wasn't normal, but she didn't want to be accused of going crazy, so she kept quiet about it.

'Locke?' L's voice broke through the silence, startling Locke. She turned and looked at him.

'What? Did you find something?' She asked.

'No...you're staring into space and shaking your head, I'm concerned you might be having some kind of fit. If you aren't, by all means continue your work,' L said, shrugging. Locke ground her teeth. _He's so annoying...He's never going to talk to me voluntarily. How boring. _She coughed to clear her throat.

'So, L...um, when can I go see my sister?' Locke asked cautiously, sneaking a glance at the detective. L's toes twitched.

'She is very traumatized...Probably due to the fact that you abandoned her. I don't know if she would react well to your presence at the moment,' L said. Locke frowned.

'But she's my sister! I have to see her! At least, if she's alright...please, I'm begging you,' Locke pleaded, scooting her chair closer to L's. L bowed his head and half-sighed, half-growled.

'I suppose if you will stop your infernal complaining, I could allow you to see her,' L grumbled. 'Just don't spend too much time there. I'll be waiting for your return.' He half-turned away from Locke, just as she launched herself out of her chair and onto L.

'Thank you so much! I'll be back right away!' Before L could shove her away, she bounced off L and ran out of the door. L sighed, frustrated.

'You don't even know where she is,' L muttered after Locke's retreating form. 'So impetuous...'

...

Locke was halfway down the hall before she realized that she had no clue where to go. 'Damn...' She sighed, slowing to a walk. _I'm not turning back to L, he'll just mock me, _she thought to herself while casually looking in every door she passed. Door after door she passed, but none of them held her sister.

'How many rooms are there?!' She grumbled in frustration. 'God, L, we don't need to house the whole population of Asia in here...' She sighed again. The hallways in the building were so boring..._For a place that looks so expensive, it sure is plain..._she thought as she wandered the halls. _I wonder who designed it. _A song popped into her head at that moment and she groaned internally. _Now it's going to be stuck in my head forever. Unless...I get it out. _

Locke quietly started humming to herself, mumbling some words here and there and she strolled down the hall.

'Hmm this is hmmhm meant, hmmmmhm were spent, hmmmhmmmhm right to the top, don't hold back,' Locke got louder as the song progressed, so by the middle of the song she was just about shouting as she danced down the hall.

'I don't ever wanna let you down! La la la la la lalala! Lalalala city never sleeps at night, it's time to begin, isn't it, la la la lalala now don't you understand, I'M NEVER CHANGING WHO I AM!' She finished by shouting at the nearest door, before stopping for a breath. Unbeknownst to her, L was watching her antics the whole time.

'...This was a bad idea,' He sighed, watching Locke prance about the halls. 'I should have left her on the streets...'

...

Locke stopped suddenly. The hallway seemed...different from before. More gray...more desolate. She had a feeling she would find her sister here. As she moved down the hallway, she heard faint sounds from a nearby room. Rushing through the door, she found her sister curled up on a bed facing the wall, whimpering softly. Locke inhaled sharply.

'Hey...it's me. Your sister, Locke. Remember me?' Locke bit her lip as she approached her younger sister. She reached a tentative hand towards her sister's back. As she made contact, her sister flinched away and the whimpering increased. Locke bit back a sudden sob.

'Please...I know what I did was wrong, but I...I couldn't help it! You were dead to everything! I couldn't help you! I couldn't...I couldn't do anything without...without falling apart myself...' She hung her head as a tear rolled down her cheek. 'Please...forgive me. I know..I know it's hard but at least, could I see your face? Please...Dany, it's me. Your sister.' Locke slumped to her knees, trying to hold back tears. _I love you so much..._Although she had never said it to her sister before, she realized that no matter what state her sister in, no matter how big a pain she was, her sister was all she had left. _If she doesn't forgive me...I don't know what I'll do. _

'L-huh?' Her sister hiccupped as she rolled over to face Locke. Locke lifted her face and stared at her sister. She smiled weakly.

'Hey, Dany. Long time no see, right?' Locke tried to make the atmosphere less tense. Her sister frowned.

'You..where did you go?' Her sister asked haltingly, in the voice of someone who hadn't spoken in a long time. Locke grimaced.

'After...after mom...had her accident...I couldn't, I couldn't keep taking care of you. They would have taken us away, and I couldn't have let that happen. Dad...I needed to...continue his, um, work. I couldn't...I c_an't _let his work be in vain. I can't let his life _just go_ like that! And you...well...' Locke broke off, lower lip trembling. Her sister, who had gotten more and more upset as Locke's speech went on, was breathing rapidly.

'You...you left me!' She cried, sitting up. 'After...you said you would never! You said we would always be together! _You lied!_' Her sister threw a pillow at Locke, then fell on the floor and started hitting her. Locke just sat there, taking it all in. Her sister was wailing and insensible, the blows she landed on Locke were hard and angry but Locke just bowed her head. _I deserve this._

_..._

L sat watching the screen, fingers hovering over the button to call security. He didn't understand why Locke wasn't fighting back, or leaving the room. _Why would you just sit there while being attacked? _He thought angrily.

'Come on Locke, get up!' He growled, finally caving in and pushing the button when he saw blood staining Locke's shirt. He was perched on the edge of his seat as the security came in and wrestled Locke's sister away. As they dragged her screaming from the room, his eyes were glued to Locke's figure as it slumped over onto the floor. _Locke...why did you do that to yourself? Why are you so...so stubborn! _He stood up abruptly and made his way to the doors.

'Well Locke, if you're going to keep this up, I'm afraid you can't keep working here,' He muttered to himself as he stuck his hands in his pockets. 'Stop getting yourself into situations that result in your injury. It's tiresome, not to mention delaying to our work. If you can't restrain yourself, you will be removed from Taskforce.' He mumbled to himself as he moved through the hallways, making his way to Locke's room. He hesitated outside the door for a moment, then walked in. He stopped when he saw Locke lying in her bed, all bandaged up.

'She's injured quite badly,' Watari said from beside her bed, as he finished putting a bandage on her arm. 'I have given her some sleeping pills along with a painkiller to help ease her injuries, but I'm afraid she won't be able to work for a while.'

L nodded, not really hearing what Watari had said. He moved closer to Locke and grimaced a bit when he saw the bruises that covered her body. He reached a tentative hand out to a bruise on her temple, but when his fingers brushed it, Locke flinched in her sleep and turned away. L stared at her for a few seconds, then abruptly turned away and walked out of Locke's room without ever saying what he'd originally come to say. _I'll just tell her later,_ he thought to himself. _She has to stop. I will send her back to the streets! _But even he couldn't convince himself that he meant it.

**So things are heating up...finally :D Yes, i finally decided on a name for Locke's sister! I have been reading George Martin's series _A Song of Ice and Fire, _a.k.a A Game of Thrones etc. and I love Daenerys's name, so I took it for Locke's sister (: Oh, the song Locke was singing is It's Time by Imagine Dragons, you guys should check them out! They're great! Btw, that song is not just a random thing I wrote in there to fill up this chapter, it will have some significance later on. That's all I'm saying for now XD**

**Reviews! (ILOVEYOUALL)**

**MYcookies: Wow, I can have him? Thanks! :D Not gonna lie, Stein's sexy**

**hi.1.1.1: Haha, I guess we are both lucky and unlucky, but thanks for following my story anyways! :D I'm trying to update as quickly as I can, but my teachers just love to give homework...-.- But thanks! I'm glad you like it!**

**Memory25: Phew, you're actually happy with it? I feel so accomplished! Hopefully I can keep it up...*sigh* :p Yeah, I just wanted people to see the way she thought...or more like, how she deals with stuff. Ugh, if only there was a personality book made by the creators of Death Note for all of the characters, everyone would be set XD**

**Minnesota1: HA, I know right? I wanted it to be not like Locke won outright, but more like it showed her determination and will to go on :p Oh, I don't know, I just like him as a person, I don't really keep up with everyone's political happenings...Like, did you see the press conference where Obama said he was going to show a video of his birth, then he showed a clip from the Lion King where Rafiki held Simba up on Pride Rock? XD Sorry, that just really made me crack up. My grade? Well, I will tell you that I'm in high school but if you're asking for specifics, everyone I know would probably rip my head off for telling a stranger (no offense)**

**bluestar2848386: Thanks! I'm sorry, this update is just for you! :D I'm not sure, actually that's a lie it's going to be when they get to know each other a little better...(that's all I'm saying for now :P) Aw, thanks! I was cheering for her too! XD Thank you so much, I promise I won't give up! Oh, quick question, does your name have any significance, or is it just a bunch of numbers? :p Sorry, it was bugging me...**

**Putting the disclaimer at the end so no one has to read it: I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE, IMAGINE DRAGONS OR THEIR SONGS, THE SERIES OF A GAME OF THRONES, GEORGE R. R. MARTIN, AND THEY DO NOT OWN ME. thanks. **


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